The Day Before Christmas
by the13thgraduate
Summary: Tabitha spends Christmas Eve waiting by the fireplace for Santa... or is she?


**The Day Before Christmas**

It was roughly 8:00 in the morning on Christmas Eve when Tabitha tousled awake. She rubbed her sleepy blue eyes, yawning as she scratched her blond hair that stuck up at all ends. She pulled off her blanket and hopped out of bed, wobbling over to the bathroom.

She decided not to bother her parents, instinctively knowing both were still asleep. She didn't know how she knew, but her grandmama Endora mentioned that it was a sort of "Witch-Sight" to know when your parents were around. It was especially strong in the bonds of mother to child. Tabitha asked why it was harder for her to recognize her father's whereabouts than other warlocks, to which Endora rolled her eyes and mumbled something about him being a mortal.

As Tabitha entered the small hallway bathroom, she wondered what a mortal was. But, she reasoned, if her daddy was one, then they couldn't be that bad.

The small child looked up at the sink, noting it was still too high for her to reach. Sighing, she set about looking for the stool she climbed on top of so that she could reach the sink every morning. But, after an unsuccessful minute of locating the stool, Tabitha just shrugged her small shoulders, looked around to make sure she wasn't being watched, and pressed her tiny finger to her nose. She moved the tip of her nose with her finger, and instantly the sink and mirror became her height.

Proud of herself, the four year old clapped and smiled. She then began to brush her teeth the way her mommy had showed her.

After Tabitha brushed her teeth and combed her hair (complete with a lopsided pony tail), she ran downstairs, still in her _Dorothy_ pajamas (pj's she won in a _Wizard of Oz_ sing-a-long contest at her daycare). The pitter patter of her footsteps woke Sam, who was still nestled under the protective embrace of Darrin's arm.

Sam yawned, stretching out her long arms, and creaking her back in the process. She ran her fingers along her blond locks, glancing at Darrin's slumbering body. A sleepy smile made its way to her face as she leaned over and kissed his left cheek, "mmm, morning sweetheart."

In his sleep, Darrin mumbled, "Sam…"

The smile grew even wider, "Good to know I'm the witch of your dreams, darling."

Still asleep, Darrin tossed uneasily, "Get yer mother outta the house…."

Sam shrugged, "Well, I guess mother's haunting yours too."

After rinsing her face in her personal restroom, she brushed her teeth and then placed a pink robe around her body. She yawned, on her way to Tabitha's room but stopped when she passed the hall bathroom. She paused, shaking her head, before backtracking.

She didn't see what she thought she saw, right?

Slowly, Sam pushed the bathroom door open.

Wrong.

Sam saw exactly what she thought she saw. For there, right in front of her, were a shrunken sink and mirror. Sam sighed, shaking her head, "Good thing Darrin didn't see this…I'd never hear the end of it." With a quick twitch, she made everything right.

Making her way downstairs, Sam caught sight of Tabitha, sitting cross legged and patiently in front of the fireplace.

"Tabitha," Sam called out patiently, "How many times do I have to remind you, that if you shrink the sink, you need to remember to make it regular size again so that it doesn't upset daddy?"

Tabitha giggled, nodding, "Upset daddy!"

Sam sat next to her on the floor, smirking, "No honey, _no upset daddy_." She then patted Tabitha's back before looking up at the fireplace, "So, I take it you're waiting for Santa?"

Tabitha giggled, shaking her head so much her pony tail flopped off. Sam nodded, eyeing her daughter, "Uh-huh…sure, you're not." She winked at the little girl before placing a small kiss on her forehead. She then got up and walked toward the kitchen to prepare breakfast, passing the Christmas tree and not taking any notice to the crumpled newspaper ball that Tabitha had placed under the tree the day before.

The day started off like any other day.

Larry called Darrin in for a few hours at the office. While Darrin griped that it was Christmas Eve, Larry could be heard saying over the phone, "Money never sleeps!" Feeling guilty about leaving Sam, Darrin promised Sam he'd be home by the evening. And as he left, he kissed both his girls goodbye- even though one was still waiting by the fireplace.

Then, Gladys Kravitz, the nosy neighbor from down the street, came knocking on their front door, convinced the Stephens stole something of hers. Her husband Abner tried to pry the woman off of their front porch, but Gladys was adamant that "something fishy" was going on and it was all the Stephen's doing.

All the while, Tabitha stayed patiently by the fireplace, not budging an inch, still in her pajamas, waiting.

In the afternoon, Uncle Arthur popped up because him and his son Henry were having a father-son fit. Apparently both tied for an annual warlock prankster competition and neither wanted to share the first place position with their relative. Sam had to figure out a way to get them to make nice while dodging Gladys Kravitz's snooping eyes.

Still, Tabitha waited, never taking her eyes off the fireplace for a single moment.

As soon as Sam managed to get Uncle Arthur and Cousin Henry to get along and to pop back to their dimensions, Sam began sneezing. As soon as she did, inanimate objects from the room would disappear. She tried desperately to call Dr. Bombay, unaware that Gladys, who had been peeking through the Stephen's living room window, had already ran over to her own home and called the police. Sensing her daughter's distress, Endora popped over. Tabitha gave her grandmother Endora a brief air-kiss as her two blue eyes stayed on the fireplace.

Endora seemed intrigued by how patient the little witch had been, sitting by the fireplace. She asked her daughter, her green eyes still on Tabitha, "Santa?"

Sam shook her head, pointing at herself while she sneezed, "Sam!"

Endora merely rolled her eyes and called Bombay herself. But as soon as the witch doctor himself appeared, so had the police. Endora was able to talk her way out of the situation, stating that her daughter was upstairs with the family physician.

Normally, Endora would just zap the officers into a pair of animals and be done of the whole mess, but Samantha begged her not to do it. Only for her daughter, did Endora oblige. But even as the officers left the premises, Endora had to ask who sent in the complaint of disturbing the peace. The officers informed her that they weren't allowed to discuss such matters, but even as they spoke to her, Endora could see the binocular lenses of Gladys Kravitz from across the street, peeking from a window. Endora didn't need to be a rocket scientist to figure it out. She smiled coldly at the officers as they left and rounded her gaze to Kravitz, zapping her into a tiny, brown mouse.

As Endora saw it, she promised Samantha she wouldn't turn the officers into anything. She didn't say anything about the nosy neighbor. As Endora cackled, slamming the door shut with another wave of magic behind her, Tabitha didn't budge one inch from her spot by the fireplace.

In a few minutes, Bombay had Sam back on her feet, informing her that she caught a rare case of Indonesia Dragon Fly Flu. Sam was puzzled- she hadn't been to Indonesia recently. But Endora snapped her fingers, figuring it out: The warlock prankster competition that both Henry and Arthur tied for had taken place in Indonesia. Obviously, one or both of them transferred the flu over to Sam.

Bombay made one of his classic crude jokes involving how he was going to take one of his female assistants to Indonesia so that he could get her sick and play doctor with her, squeezing himself under her covers and so forth. He barely finished the tale before Endora waved her arms and forced him to pop out. And while both mother and daughter shivered at Bombay's plans for the evening, Tabitha stayed in the same spot as she had the whole day, barely moving a muscle.

Sam quickly fixed her daughter something to eat, slightly bent out of shape over Tabitha's behavior. But Endora assured her that all children loved Santa, and that Tabitha's reaction to jolly old Saint Nick wasn't out of the ordinary at all. But what Sam did find out of the ordinary was a tiny brown mouse that seemed to be trying to speak to her as her and her mother ate a late lunch in the kitchen. Sam caught the mischievous gleam in her mother's eye and demanded to know who the mouse was. When Endora muttered, "The Kravitz woman", Sam nearly fell out of her seat. She pleaded with her mother to change Gladys back into a "people person" and to wipe her memory of being a mouse. At first Endora teased the mouse, hanging it by its tail and chuckling at the thought of turning Abner into a cat, commenting, "Quite the pair they would make, wouldn't you say, Samantha?"

All Samantha could gasp was a bewildered, "Mother!"

But after a while, the novelty wore off and Endora finally popped Gladys, the last couple of hours erased from mind, back in her own home and confused as hell. Then, feeling that Sam had once again chosen the mortals over her, Endora popped off- but not without giving Tabitha a quick kiss on the forehead and a Christmas present of her own: a real Teddy bear.

Sam placed the live cub upstairs, not even sure what to do with it but decided it would be best to tell Darrin gently before he saw the thing with his own two eyes.

Meanwhile, Tabitha hardly noticed anything, as she stayed exactly as she had been the whole day: by the fireplace, cross legged and in her pajamas.

Finally, Darrin came home. First words out of his mouth were that Abner Kravitz asked his personal opinion as to what was wrong with his wife. Darrin told Sam that he was about to say that Gladys just seemed a bit more eccentric than most people, but then caught sight of Gladys Kravitz behind Abner. Darrin, with his eyes wide, told Sam, "The woman was eating a block of cheese! It must've been five pounds!"

Sam tried to hold in a giggle, shrugging her shoulders casually, "Why Darrin, that…does seem a bit unusual."

And then, out of nowhere, Darrin's eyes bugged out as he saw a live bear cub run down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"S-S-S-" Was all Darrin could stutter, but Samantha pressed her hands into his chest, her words flying from her mouth, "Now sweetheart-"

Darrin cut her off, letting out a huge sigh, "I don't even want to know!"

Sam tried to make him feel better, "It was just a regular day!"

He smacked his hand to his forehead, groaning, " _That_ makes it worse!" Pacing quickly he nodded his head, "This has something to do with your mother, doesn't it?"

"…. _well_ -" As soon as Sam said the word, she knew that it might as well be an admission to guilt.

Darrin looked like he was about to pass out. He then noticed Tabitha waiting by the fireplace and nodded, "At least something around this house is normal!"

Samantha tilted her head, not quite sure where Darrin was going with that statement since Tabitha was the most "un-normal" child in the entire neighborhood. But then Darrin finished his thought, "A little girl waiting for Santa! At least that's normal!"

Sam shrugged her shoulders, admitting, "Maybe it is."

But then night soon came. While Darrin had passed out, stressing over the events of what transpired while he was away at work, Sam had fallen asleep downstairs on the couch- trying to muscle Tabitha away from the fireplace. She was unsuccessful.

And there Tabitha waited…and waited… and waited. Her tiny eyes were beginning to droop, her little throat stifling a yawn, but patient none the less.

POP!

Tabitha's eyes snapped open, sleep soon disappearing from her small face as two feet dangled from the fireplace. Growing excited, Tabitha jumped from her spot for the first time that day. She jumped up and down excitedly, her small arms flaying every which way as the feet kicked and turned, and a body plopped out of the fireplace, spraying ash and soot into the living room. Now ash-covered, Tabitha was happier than ever as she ran over to the person, throwing her small arms around their waist and saying joyfully, "Ant Clawa!"

Bending down slightly, and blinking madly was an old woman with faded red hair and wearing a bewildered expression. She told Tabitha, "I-I was so sure I'd make it through the-the wall this time!"

Tabitha giggled, and shook her head.

Just then a bear cub was seen running back up the stairs from the kitchen. Clara blinked, asking Tabitha, "Who-who-who gave you the teddy bear?"

The tiny witch smiled, "Grandmama Endora!"

Clara shrugged, her witches pride showing in full stride as she tried her best to not be jealous of Endora's powers, "Show off…"

Aunt Clara then stood to her full height, dusting herself off and taking in all the black ash and soot all over the carpet. She pointed it out, telling Tabitha, "Your mommy really needs to clean this place up! You never know who will drop in."

Tabitha jumped up, her smile even bigger which in turn made Clara's smile twice as big. Clara then decided to help out Sam and clean the place up, but instead of the ash and soot disappearing, it turned into snow.

Tabitha was in a fit of giggles while Clara was beside herself in worry, "Oh-Oh, dear! I-I must've gotten the spell mixed up!"

Sam, on the couch, began to stir awake and Tabitha quickly pressed her finger to her nose to "twitch" away the snow- making her home clean once more. Clara nodded at the girl, telling her, "You need to teach me that trick!"

"I twitched!" Tabitha announced proudly.

Clara noticed Sam on the couch and pulled a small blanket over her body, telling Tabitha, "Ssshhh!"

Tabitha mimicked her, "Sssshhh!"

Clara leaned down to Tabitha, so as they were eye to eye, and then asked, "So Tabitha, have you been waiting for Santa to bring you a nice gift?"

The tiny witch shook her head excitedly before pulling Clara into a hug and whispering in her ear, "I was waiting fow you!"

"Me?!"

Tabitha nodded, before leading her to the Christmas tree, rattling on and on, "I wait for you! I new you come! I wait n wait! I want to give you gift!"

"Gift?!"

Tabitha nodded, reaching into the Christmas tree to pull out a rumpled newspaper glob with a green bow on it to only turn around and give it to Clara, "My gift ta you!"

Clara's heart warmed instantly to the hope that one could easily see inside Tabitha's blue eyes. Tabitha noticed Clara's hesitance to take the gift, and shrugged slowly, "You no wan' it? I wapped it 'specially fow you."

Shaking her head at the thought, Clara quickly wiped a tear that threatened to spill onto her cheek. She then said, after finding her voice, "Oh no, sweetheart! It-It's just that…not too many witches give me gifts anymore."

"How come?"

"They…" Clara sighed, thinking of her older siblings who had finally passed on from the mortal plane. Not wanting to make the child feel upset this Christmas, Clara forced herself to smile as she explained gently, "They left."

"Ware day go?!"

"Um…away."

"Why? Day don' like Chwistmas anymore?!"

Clara chuckled at the thought, patting Tabitha's head, "They like Christmas just fine. Some of us even celebrated it before it was called Christmas…but that's a story for another day. Now, what did you get me?"

"Open it!" Tabitha jumped.

Clara obliged, and unwrapped the crumpled newspaper. It was a big, clear, diamond shaped doorknob. Clara's heart was instantly touched by the gesture as she whispered excitedly as to not wake Sam, "A doorknob! You, you know I collect these."

Tabitha nodded, explaining, "I saw it in Gladys Kravitzeses house. I took it."

Clara blinked, "Took it?" She then shrugged, admiring how distinguished the doorknob looked and patted Tabitha on the head, saying, "Well, maybe she won't notice."

Tabitha agreed, "I don' think she will. She's too busy being uh mouse."

"A mouse? I could think of a number of animals I'd rather be than that." Clara thought for a moment, "Maybe she's in the Christmas spirit…. _Twas, Twas the night before Christmas and all through the-the house, not a creature was stirring, not uh-not even a mouse_!"

Tabitha clapped her hands, giggling.

Clara then kissed Tabitha's right cheek, telling the child, "Thank you, Tabitha. It's a wonderful Christmas present. Now, in a bit, you can open yours!" Carefully, with shaking hands due to her old age, Clara was about to reach into her bag until smaller hands stopped her.

Suddenly Tabitha became serious and told her aunt, "I justed want you ta be here. That's all."

Clara bent down, and wrapped the child in her arms, a tear escaping her proud facade before she could stop it, "Oh Tabitha, such a big heart…you really are your mother's daughter."

Tabitha smiled a knowing smile, one that would follow her into adulthood and be her silent trademark for letting other's know that she understood them.

Watching them on the couch, quiet as can be, was Samantha Stephens. With a silent smile on her lips, and her chest as warm as can be on that Christmas Eve night, Sam just shook her head and chuckled, "A doorknob? So that's what Gladys thought we stole. All this mess today, over a doorknob." If she thought about it too hard, she might bust out laughing, so Sam did her best to push out the ridiculousness of the day out of her mind. As Sam saw her two favorite witches whispering excitedly to each other, one a child and the other a child at heart, Samantha remembered something: This time of the year, had a kind of magic all its own.

* * *

 **This is my first** _ **Bewitched**_ **fanfic. It's been awhile since I've seen the series, but hopefully I did the characters justice. Wrote this while I was in the Christmas mood. Hope you enjoyed it and thank you for reading. Happy Holidays!**


End file.
